Raspberry Cordial Spritzer and Raspberry Prosecco Sorbet

I am a child of the Eighties, part of the disco era and the real MTV generation. I grew up in a decade where we made a statement with extravagant neon colored fashion, big hair and loud music. The years defined us, made us idealists and pushed us into the 21st century as adults, ready to pass on the same idealism to our children – the children of the twenty first century.

When we got home from school, the backyard was our kingdom and imagination was the keyword. A table was converted into a stage and we spent hours practicing the Moonwalk or getting into the Groove. A tree house transformed into the Ewok planet Endor and Han Solo always came to the rescue. A hairbrush became our microphone, the ghetto blaster our band and Like a Virgin our hymn. But we never managed to beat the Rubik’s Cube.

We were fashionistas in those ubiquitous legwarmers, oversized sweatshirts worn like mini-dresses over neon colored leotards and our hair defied all laws of gravity. The boys looked slick and sharp in the pastel colored Miami Vice look and social networking meant hanging out at Pizza Hut with real-life friends.

It was like totallyRAD to stay up all night flicking through the latest Smash Hits and making up dreams about our current heartthrobs. Snacking on melted Velveeta cheese and nachos, washed down with grape Kool-Aid, we read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and friendships were sealed with a friendship band.

CNN took us to Tiananman's Square and we watched in horror as the Challenger exploded, cheered as the Berlin wall came down and AIDS was something only Homosexual men got! We were young, rebellious and always dressed to a T.

Today, we are the ones who still turn up the volume and sing along with The Bangles perfectly, still swoon at the sight of Simon Le Bon or Morten Harket and we still own a Swatch (somewhere). We still believe Luke and Han Solo to be the true heroes of Star Wars and wonder whatever happened to the simple Lego building blocks. Our children think we are cool because we know the difference between Autobots and Decepticons and who the Power Rangers are. But we still cannot beat the Rubik’s Cube.

The Eighties was big, shaping and forming us into the colorful adults we are today.

How do you remember the Eighties?

This month Sarah of Maison Cupcake is hosting the Monthly Mingle and the theme is Think Pink. Although I was not sure what I would be making, the Think Pink message transported me back into the Eighties. I was not always the pink frou frou kind of girl but do remember my neon pink legwarmers, huge pink colored hoop earrings, pink and black tank tops. I laughed profusely as I remembered threatening my best girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend that if he did not leave her alone, I’d dye the hair on his private parts bright pink and tie him naked to a palm tree on the main road for everyone to see! Ever since then “Think Pink” has a whole different meaning to us.

Light and refreshing, both the spritzer and the sorbet provide a sweet, fruity and tangy flavor with an intense aromatic and crisp note of Prosecco. Depending on the type of Prosecco you use, it will add highlights of mellow apple, pear and peach.

Place the raspberries in a medium-sized saucepan, sprinkle with the sugar, squeeze over the lemon juice and pour over the water.

Over a medium heat bring the mixture to a boil. Stir a few times to dissolve the sugar. Turn down and simmer for about 6-7 minutes or until the raspberries disintegrate.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pass through a fine meshed sieve to strain, pressing down on the fruit. Most of the raspberry flesh should be soft enough to pass through, leaving the pips behind.

Allow to cool, then pour into a glass vessel and place in the fridge.

To serve the spritzer, pour a some of the cordial in a glass and top off with seltzer or to make it extravagant some bubbly Prosecco.

In a medium bowl, mix together Prosecco, water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the raspberries. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes.

Pass through a fine meshed sieve to strain, pressing down on the fruit. Discard the seeds.

Chill the mixture in the refrigerator overnight, then freeze in your ice cream maker according the manufacturer's instructions

Verdict

I love the fact that with pretty much the same ingredients you can make two exquisite and very different recipes. Always a bonus in my books when I need to entertain. The calendar reminded me this week that Spring was here and when I look outside I see gorgeous blue skies and feel the warmth of the beautiful sunshine. My mind is racing ahead and I am already planning picnics and garden parties. I know that both the raspberry cordial spritzer and raspberry prosecco sorbet will be making their appearances often this summer.

Both recipes are the perfect coolers. Using fruity raspberries and a spritz of Prosecco you will feel Spring around the corner. Invite your friends over and have an 80s revival parties, these two recipes will hit the right note for sure.

Sarah and I hope to see you at the Think Pink party this month. You have plenty of time as the deadline ends on March 30th, 2011.

Hope you all have a lovely, sunny and relaxing weekend. I’ll see you all next week.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, I'd forgotten how much fun all that stuff from the 80's was! Although, I have to admit I'm glad they are over, I still cringe when I think about the frosted pink lipstick and the big crunchy hair. Those are best left in the past :-D

I was just a little girl in the eighties but I do remember the Madonna craze (did that ever stop?), the movie "Pretty in pink" (pink!) and those leg warmers you are talking about. When MTV came into everyone's lives in Europe, it was a HUGE moment.Both your creations look fantastic, especially that cordial spritzer. Such a beautiful color.

There's a whole new side to you in this post Meeta concerning the hair-dye! Yes I remember thinking partying in 1999 was unimaginable. Where did the time go? And now my daughters are seeing all the old songs rehashed on Glee. They look at me blankly when I quote the original artist of all the sampling and covers that pepper so many tracks now. I was famed for my compilation tapes for parties...sigh.I've got my think pink post lined up, but now I'm wondering...is it pink enough?!

"Oh baby your so fine, your so fine you blow my mind!" Now THINK PINK will always mean something else for me too. Wasn't there a Molly Ringwald movie in the 80's, Pretty in Pink? Oh dear.... now you have me thinking about the hair.

I do like prosecco in gelato and the combination for prosecco and rasberries is wonderful!

You capture both the playful and serious sides of the 80s, which I love... I can't way I remember a whole lot, as I was born in '84, but I'm not really a child of any decade... my music tastes come from the 60s, my cocktails from the 70s, my hair from the 80s (just kidding) and my movies from the 90s.

Lovely trip back to 80s. Yes it was a great time of change and I spent my early childhood years in it. My teenage years were waisted in acquiring hip hop dance skills in 90s still so much influenced by previous decade. Your photos are visual feast and the recipes sound so simple yet elegant. We do most of our parties during summer and conveniently I grow some raspberries in my backyard so I'd be gladly trying these pink creation to my first raspberry harvest in summer, which seems to be so far away now as we have another wintry surprise covering our yard now in white.

Well, now I am feeling truly old, because I remember all of those things about the Eighties -- except it was our kids going through it, not us! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Now, does anyone remember the Sixties?

That was quite a march to the past Meeta!! All your posts are so uniquely beautiful and soul stirring and always leaves me with a smile (a big laugh this time! :-D) - can't imagine u threatening someone so bad...

What is there not to love about this pink recipe! really liking the placing of that one blue bottle there.

Oh Meeta, what a post! Like an eternal flame, my love for the Bangles (and Belinda Carlisle) is still strong. We introduced our kids early to Luke and Han and Leia (none of that Jar Jar nonsense), and look forward to introducing them to The Doc and Marty, and Slimer, and Mogwais, the list goes on. So, did you have your Raspberry Beret on when you made this? :P Gorgeous!

You are too funny. I have a stack of swatches in a box in my closet that I can't part with. Hey, one day they will be worth a fortune (or not).The raspberry drink reminds of of Kir Royal which I like to serve a lot. The sorbet looks very tasty, Great recipes and pictures (like always!). Thanks, Meeta.Kirsten

you are quite the little vixen Meeta . . . 'dye his private parts pink' . . . i laughed out loud and nearly choked at that sentence. i had you pegged for the quite and shy type but now you have exposed my dear friend . . . and i think i like you even more because we're cut from the same cloth (although i DO remember a few more years back, say, like the 60s???). the raspberry prosecco sorbet has The Professor's name written all over it - just lovely!

Oh this post brought back some memories. I was born in 1980. so I was just a kid in the 80's but I remember everything. The 80’s seem to me like some long gone golden age, a time when everything was so simple. :) I love your photos and everything looks so delicious. I would also love to participate in Monthly mingle, I'm new with international blogging so I don't know if it would be ok for me to join you guys? :)

Oooh I am a few years older than you and of a different dance and music generation! Weird! But the feelings are the same and I love to go back to those good old days. But I think I'll move ahead in time to summer when I will definitely making this fabulous, perfect drink and sorbet. Gorgeous pink photos, darling! I love it all!

Thank you for the wonderful refresher of the fabulous 80's. I am from Australia and all I could think about was the remake of Ring my Bell from Collette. I think it was only popular in Australia. You'll find it on Youtube. When I think of the 80's I think of this song.

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...